Revamping the Motorola ROKR

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif

After a lackluster launch, Businessweek is reporting that Motorola and Cingular are working on a revamp for the ROKR iTunes-enabled phone.

Though an early move by both companies to put music on mobile phones was a disappointment, they don't plan to make the same mistake twice.

According to the article, Motorola says to have shipped 500,000 of the ROKR phone, despite the poor reviews. While able to play iTunes-purchased songs, the ROKR was limited to holding only 100 songs regardless of storage capacity.

In 2006, Motorola is planning on introducing a new version of the ROKR that addresses many of the issues of the first generation. New features expected include a 1 megapixel camera, a 3.5mm earphone jack, capacity to hold 1000 songs, and a "sleek new look". iTunes support is expected to remain.

[Abstract]

I think all decent phones nowadays have quite comparable features, so that was never the biggest issue with the ROKR. The problem was that the style wasn't cool anymore, and after THAT they decided to put iTunes on the phone.

[bigandy]

hmmmm. it's still a motorola phone.

[BornAgainMac]

Like Trump would probably say "That phone was a total disaster.... You didn't know your target customer. Your fired!"

[hob]

Sony Ericsson did a better job. They may have been using the Walkman brand, but I don't think that actually added anything to the phone - they researched and built a solid phone. As they do!

Simply:
Motorola = Boo
Sony Ericsson = Yay!

[macam]

Until Motorola Announce that they have either been bought out by SonyEricsson or they have sold the ROKR to SE... Then I won't be buying one. The Menus on the Motos and general usability of these phones are pants to say the least!

Why oh Why didn't Steve do some user research before he chose to partner with Motorola...

Just release a Apple Branded phone (Made in cupertino!) and be done with it... I will be on that band wagon like a shot... and I think like a whole load of people too!

macam

[Lacero]

ROKR is great for people who don't like the RAZR flip phones. I personally don't like flip phones, so this phone is geared for people like me.

[macam]

Originally Posted by Lacero

ROKR is great for people who don't like the RAZR flip phones. I personally don't like flip phones, so this phone is geared for people like me.

Woah hold on... are you saying that you actually like the Motorolas? You will be the first that I have met in a while!!!!

macam

[lilstewart]

Whatever. The phone was bad this time, it'll be bad next time

[Applespider]

Originally Posted by macam

Woah hold on... are you saying that you actually like the Motorolas? You will be the first that I have met in a while!!!!

No, he said he didn't like flip phones. I don't like flip phones either but that doesn't mean I liked the original ROKR. I do like my SE k750i though.

[dr_lha]

Originally Posted by macam

Woah hold on... are you saying that you actually like the Motorolas? You will be the first that I have met in a while!!!!

macam

Us haters of flip phones seem to have little choice these days. Personally I have a SE phone, which does everything I want (Bluetooth, Camera, non-flip phone, decent phone), however looking at the Cingular Store I see that they don't even sell a non-flip SE phone any more. In fact the only feature rich non-flip phone that isn't a PDA/Blackberry is the ROKR.

Everyone else the the world has decent choice in phones, why is the US so obsessed with flip-phones that you can't even get anything else any more?

[nbs2]

Originally Posted by macam

Woah hold on... are you saying that you actually like the Motorolas? You will be the first that I have met in a while!!!!

macam

I'm in the same boat as Lacero. I don't like flip phones so the ROKR is the foundation of a phone I would like. If I remember right, I wasn't too impressed with the interface but otherwise I wasn't as bothered as other people. What I would love to find is a nice, simple phone without a camera and with BT and iTunes. I wonder what the chance is that some phone company will start selling phones like computer companies sell computers, with a base and then available functionality. I guess there isn't enough margin, but....oh well. Sorry about the rambling.

[VanMac]

Anything they do will likely be an improvement.

Skeptical if it would be good enough to actually purchase.....

[ericssonboi]

Originally Posted by hob

Sony Ericsson did a better job. They may have been using the Walkman brand, but I don't think that actually added anything to the phone - they researched and built a solid phone. As they do!

Simply:
Motorola = Boo
Sony Ericsson = Yay!

Basicly Motorolla is trying to come out with a phone like the SE W800 with the 3.5mm jack. But after a year, the W800 still be better with a 2.0mp camera. I seriously think Apple made a mistake by signing up with motorolla

[dcv]

I'm also a Sony Ericsson fan, would never buy a Motorola phone.

I'm waiting for the release of the W900i - not so much for the music, but just as a possible next handset. Ideally i'd like a slim flip phone to replace my Z1010 but most of the other SE clamshells are chunky/ugly/have worse specs than what I currently have.

W900i is a swivel action Sony Ericsson 3G Walkman™ phone. It has everything you need to enjoy your music on the move and it supports the latest and most advanced 3G network services. An impressive large screen makes mobile video viewing pure pleasure and the audio quality is what you would expect from an advanced digital music player. A 2 megapixel camera with auto focus will let you take pictures to be proud of and you can send them straight from your phone.

http://www.sonyericsson.com/images/s..._28_0_4000.jpg

[Zzero0]

iTunes is nice on the phone but the ROKR is just a phone with no style. The RAZR is perty sad on styling. Moto and Apple should take a clue from Nokia. Style and Functionality can be had in a phone at a reasonabl price. For functionality the N80 can't be beat. http://www.nokia.com/nseries/index.h...nside,main_n80 For style the 8800 is very nice http://www.nokia8800.com/

[macam]

Originally Posted by Applespider

No, he said he didn't like flip phones. I don't like flip phones either but that doesn't mean I liked the original ROKR. I do like my SE k750i though.

Ok fair enough - I just made the assumption that the comment being on a motorola thread was in fact about a motorola phone, much like you made the assumption that Lacero is a he. (Unless you know them!!! and in which case my clever argument is completely moot and I will go and sit in the naughty corner and write out 1000 lines of 'I must not be a smart arse' )

PS I too have a SE K750i and a K600i Both awesome phones and both non flip phones. Both able to brilliantly sync to my macs and kicks any other phone out there... awesome! Apple phone to resemble these phones please steve!

macam

[macam]

Originally Posted by nbs2

What I would love to find is a nice, simple phone without a camera and with BT and iTunes. I wonder what the chance is that some phone company will start selling phones like computer companies sell computers, with a base and then available functionality. 0

Dude, Try the Nokia 3120. Trust me when I say they are simple small phones. Phone and contacts... simple as that... the coolest features are colour screen and funky (ie Crappy) Ringtones.

have a look at http://www.nokia.co.uk/nokia/0,,69484,00.html unfortunately I don't know if they sell them in the states...

Is this the kinda thing you mean!?

macam

[mister_L]

Originally Posted by bigandy

hmmmm. it's still a motorola phone.

yep. the biggest problem won´t be solved .

apple should build a phone on their own and have a look at the se-phones.
i have a sonyericsson k750i and afaik there is no better "apple-supported" phone - still, an iphone would be the greatest!

[Chundles]

I want a cheap and I mean cheap ($150AUD with pre-paid), non-flip, no camera, no bluetooth, phone with good reception, long long battery life and iTunes integration. I want it to be slim, light and strong whilst maintaining a sense of style to it.

I don't want the horrible Moto UI though.

And it needs brightly backlit and well delineated buttons that are both large enough and easy enough to navigate the keypad by touch

[Hattig]

Why don't Apple simply release iTunes software for Symbian UIQ, Symbian S60 and whatever other phone operating systems there are? Then anyone can have iTunes on their phone.

My Motorola A1000 has the annoying small headphone jack issue as well. It's not a bad phone, but it suffers from the American disease of chunkyness that Apple has managed to evolve from.

If Apple made a phone i'm sure it'd end up being quite usable. Apple tends to distance themselves from an implementation and think about the functionality, the importance of each function, the actual use of the device. An Apple made phone might actually concentrate on being a good phone, shock horror. Sadly a scroll-wheel might work for selecting numbers on a dial and navigating menus, but it would suck for text entry - a major requirement for a modern phone. I think an Apple phone would therefore end up looking like a smaller better designed Nokia communicator, with a keyboard thumbpad for texting and similar. On the outside would be a secondary screen and scrollwheel for non-text functions - you can dial numbers, select address book entries for phoning, select music, whatever, via the external interface. Inside there'd be a 320x200 wide display for texting, emails, browsing and whatever else phones do these days.

[longofest]

Cheers for a revamped ROKR, that you can then "unlock" and then get off of cingular's stupid service and use on Verizon.

Anyone have practical experience with doing this trick? With the ROKR?

[kretzy]

I'd bet all the G5 Quad-core PMs in the world, that it'll still be UGLY!

[electronboy]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

... Motorola and Cingular are working on a revamp for the ROKR iTunes-enabled phone. Though an early move by both companies to put music on mobile phones was a disappointment...

You guys have it all wrong, this phone was the result of THREE companies working on the product. You conveniently left out Apple, who probably is to blame for the phone having a LAME 100 song limit.

They probably have aspirations of their own and saw this as a way to test the market without first bringing out their own product.

The ROKR is and will be a failure because Apple limited its functionality early on in the design process.

[electronboy]

Originally Posted by mister_L

an iphone would be the greatest!

Why do we want an Apple phone? Let's see... the phone would initialy be widely praised for its ease of use and innovation. It may even win some awards for design.

Then Apple would decide after a few years that they would dramatically change the very foundation of the phone using industry standard parts yet still charge a fortune for it.

Then the phone would be become plain and unexciting like every other phone.